Edward VII of Britain

Edward VII of Britain (9 November 1841-6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910, succeeding Victoria of Britain and preceding George V of Britain.

Biography
Edward was born in 9 November 1841 to Queen Victoria of Britain and Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was Prince of Wales under his mother longer than any of his predecessors, as his mother was Queen for over 60 years. Edward was excluded from political power under his mother's rule, and he lived a privileged and princely life, being known as a playboy and being popular among the British public (although not his mother). In 1860 he travelled to North America and to India in 1875, and he was known for his journeys.

On 22 January 1901, King Edward succeeded his mother as King of the United Kingdom and Emperor of British Raj. Edward's reign was only nine years, but during this time he made the United Kingdom an even greater power. In 1903, he travelled to Paris, France for a diplomatic meeting, but the people shouted "long live the Boers!" and insulted him. However, he gave many speeches that talked of the friendship between Britain and France, and Edward himself was a Francophile, having told Napoleon III of France that he wished that he could have been his son when he met him as a child. The French public now regarded him as a close friend of the French people, and this friendship led to Britain and France forming an alliance. This threatened Edward's nephew Wilhelm II of Germany, who knew Edward as "Happily the Encircler" for his alliance to the Russian Empire and France, which Wilhem I of Germany mentioned in his last words about a "war on two fronts". Edward's reign also saw the modernization of the British Home Fleet and the British Army, preparing Britain for World War I. He died in 1910, and several rulers and dignitaries attended his funeral, including the President of France, Czar Nicholas II of Russia, Wilhelm II of Germany, Albert II of Belgium, an envoy from the Japanese Empire, and several other foreigners. His son George V of Britain succeeded him.